A crackdown on violence and rowdy behavior is underway, as the San Diego Police Department began a new enforcement effort, dubbed “Operation Last Call,” in the Gaslamp Quarter.
SDPD started increasing patrols Friday night, in response to a series of violent incidents involving large crowds. The decision follows several confrontations where officers were forced to use pepper spray to disperse unruly groups.
Police say disorderly conduct cases in the Gaslamp last year were three times higher than in Pacific Beach.
The operation adds up to 25 extra officers to the Gaslamp.
“I’ve had three knives pulled on me, I’ve had a pickaxe come at me, which is just crazy. Then, about two months ago, we had a woman who was coming down the market and she was just belligerent. She spit on us, she spit on our merchandise, she ended up being tackled; it just so happened to be that a police officer was coming by when she was trying to assault us. And it was great, I was so thankful that someone was there, because there are so many times where they’re not,” Jara McConnell, an artist at the Gaslamp’s weekend artisan market, said.